Roadway bridge connection



Jan. 26, 1937. w. HAUPT ROADWAY BRIDGE CONNEGTIYON 7 Filed Sept. 2, 1936 llllllllllllAy 3m entor I I WJfQLL Ji I 6 (Ittornegs.

Patented Jan. 26, 1937 ROADWAY BRIDGE CONNECTION Wilhelm Haunt, Dortmund-Horde, Germany Application September 2, 1936, Serial No. 99,144

In Germany September 30, 1935 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the necessary connection between a movable bridge end and a roadway leading to the same.

The abutment supporting the end of the roadway in constructions of this character is fixed and the bridge end is movable horizontally toward and away from the roadway, the movement being caused, for example, by expansion and contraction owing to changes in temperature. The connection between the roadway and the movable end of thebridge must not only serve the obvious purpose of guiding the traffic loads safely over the gap of the interruption but must above all comply with the requirements of guiding the vehicle loads over the gap with the least possible vibration, and must further prevent the jamming by foreign substances accumulated in the path of movement which may render 'movement impossible, must avoid the trickling through of water and the falling through of dirt whereby the pillars or the abutment underneath may be soiled and corroded and must be of simple and inexpensive construction.

It is also desirable that there be no holes, channels and the like in the roadway as it is obvious that these constitute a constant danger to draft animals and all users of the bridge.

The roadway connections hitherto used have only partially complied with the above-mentioned requirements. It is true that the known gearing structures have led the vehicle loads across with a slight vibration but they have not prevented the possibility of the jamming by foreign substances which impede or render the movement of the bridge end impossible and do not prevent the trickling through of water and dirt so that damage to the pillars and abutments is unavoidable. In addition to the high costs of producing these gearing structures, the latter have also the drawbacks that holes are formed in the roadway which constitute a constant source of danger for the users of the bridge and for the draft animals. It is true that the plate structures hitherto used areless expensive and also prevent the trickling through of water and dirt, but they have the drawback that the vehicle loads are subjected to great vibrations when crossing and that they allow of jamming by foreign substances whereby the movement of the bridge end is prevented.

An object of this invention is to prevent shocks to traffic by avoiding sharp breaks between the roadway and the bridge end.

Another object of the invention is to avoid the jamming of the movable bridge-end by foreign matter getting into the path of the bridge end.

Another object of the invention is to prevent corrosion of the pillars by leakage of water and other substances thereon.

Other objects will appear from the full description of the invention and the accompanying 5 10 Figure 2 is a partial section showing another embodiment of the invention on a larger scale.

Figure 3 is a similar section showing a known form of connection.

Figures l, 5 and 6 are similar sections showing 15 further embodiments of the invention.

In Figure l, A is a pier which may be in midstream or at a shore end of the bridge. B is the movable end of a bridge. This is shown as mounted on a block, C, which may be integral, resting on 20 rollers D, on the upper surface of the pier. The above described construction is not a part of applicants invention and may be replaced by any suitable construction of movable bridge-end. E is a roadway leading to the bridge and is shown as of concrete but may be any properly constructed roadway. F is an extension of the upper part of the roadway flush with the upper surface thereof and extending over a channel G, provided in the sub-surface portion of the roadway near the gap H, between the movable bridge end and the roadway. A slot M of such dimensions as to allow the bridging plate, K, (hereinafter described) to move therein, is formed between the roadway extension F and the upwardly pro- 35 jecting portion L of the channel wall. The channel G may be formed by metal walls set in the concrete if preferred and the roadway extension F may also be of metal and may in any case if desired be'pivotally secured to the roadway as 40 shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6.

A bridging plate K is secured to the movable bridge end, immovably in Fig. 1, and is of sufficient length to extend into the slot M when the bridge end is at its greatest permissible distance from the end of the roadway. Said bridging plate is shown inclined in Fig. 1.

To further diminish shocks to vehicles passing over the road the under surface of F may be beveled as shown. To prevent water running off the surface of the road on to the various parts of the substructure of the bridge projections, N, are formed on the upper surface of the plate K, and if desired on the extension F, and filling piece 0 (hereinafter described) when used. Numerous 55 small channels are thus formed through which water runs into the channel G and is conducted away.

The width of the channel G determines the greatest displacement of the plate K. The greatest width of the gap H at its maximum is the greatest permissible distance of the movable bridge end from the roadway end and is hence much greater than the width of G. The bridging plate K must therefore be thicker than is required of the extension F of the roadway. The importance of this fact even when the extension F is not beveled is obvious from an inspection of Fig. 3, showing an old form of such devices. Fig. 3 shows that in the old form there are two sharp edges and a drop of considerably greater extent than in applicants device wherein the bridging plate moves beneath the surface of the highway. Fig. 3 also illustrates how foreign matter will collect in the depression P and soon obstruct movement of the end of the bridge. Water will also collect in said depression with undesirable results.

The operation of the device is entirely clear from the above. The movement of the movable end of the bridge causes the bridge plate to move in the slot as the gap narrows or broadens.

' Traffic passing over the bridge is subject only to the shock caused by the thickness of the extension which is much less than the thickness of the bridging plate K, or K as shown in Fig. 3, and

which may be rendered still less by beveling the undersurface of F as shown.

Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6 show modification in which the extensions F1, F2, F3, F4 is pivotally supported and the bridging plate is bent as in Figure 4, or curved as in Figs. 5 and 6.

It will be noted that if we imagine the plane upper surface of the roadway to extend to where it meets the upper surface of the bridging plate a triangular prism is formed bounded by said plane, the upper surface of the bridging plate and the vertical face at the end of the roadway extension.

A further improvement may be made by using a filling in piece, 0, of the shape outlined above.

' This filling in piece may be of metal, concrete or any suitable material and is secured to the extension F4 of the roadway either pivotally as shown or otherwise.

While I have shown various forms of my device it is to be understood that they are merely exemplary and not limiting except as set forth in the claims herein.

Having thus described the invention what is 2. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which said bridging plate is rigidly secured to said bridge end and is downwardly inclined from the road surface of said bridge.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which said bridging plate is pivotallyconnected to said movable end of the bridge.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the bridge plate is curved.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which a filler piece is secured to the end of the roadway extension of such shape as to produce a substantially flush surface with the bridging plate and roadway extension. 7

6. In a bridge-roadway connection for a bridge having one end fixed and the other movable, to-

ward and from a roadway, a bridging plate secured to the movable end of the bridge, a support for said bridging plate rigid with the roadway and upon which said bridging plate rests and an extension of the roadway pivotally secured to the end of roadway and resting on the bridging plate, there being projections on the upper surface of said bridging plate and the under surface of said extension whereby channels are formed between said plate and said extension.

. WILHELM HAUPT. 

